Portrait of Two Children 1893

Berthe Morisot painted this "Portrait of Two Children" in oil on canvas, and its value emerges from the artist's unique touch. Morisot’s technique, characteristic of Impressionism, involves layering paint in quick, visible strokes. Look closely, and you can see the individual touches of pigment that make up the girls' dresses and hair. This wasn't about smooth illusionism, but about the expressive potential of paint itself. The texture is thick, and the colors mix optically as you step back. While these materials are traditional to painting, Morisot’s approach was quite radical. She embraced a kind of immediacy, prioritizing sensation over meticulous detail. In doing so, she elevated the act of painting to a subject in itself, and made a break with the academic painting that had previously held sway. The value we see in Morisot's work isn't just about the image, it’s about the way she worked with her materials. By understanding the making, we gain a deeper appreciation of the final artwork.